Doctor of Philosophy in Petroleum Engineering or Energy Resources Engineering

The Ph.D. degree is conferred upon demonstration of high achievement in independent research and by presentation of the research results in a written dissertation and oral defense.

In addition to University and the Department of Energy Resources Engineering basic requirements for the doctorate, the Petroleum Engineering Ph.D. and Energy Resources Engineering Ph.D. degrees have the following requirements:

Students must complete a minimum of 36 course units and 54 research units (a total of 90 units) beyond the M.S. degree. At least half of the classes must be at a 200 level or higher and all must be taken for a letter grade. Students with an M.S. degree or other specialized training from outside ERE are generally expected to include ENERGY 221, 223, and 240, or their equivalents. The number and distribution of courses to be taken is determined with input from the research advisers and department graduate program committee.

To achieve candidacy (usually during or at the end of the first year of enrollment), the student must complete 24 units of letter-graded course work beyond the M.S. degree, develop a written Ph.D. research proposal, and choose a dissertation committee.

The research adviser(s) and two other faculty members comprise the dissertation reading committee. Upon completion of the dissertation, the student must pass a University oral examination in defense of the dissertation.

36 units of course work is a minimum; in some cases the research adviser may specify additional requirements to strengthen the student's expertise in particular areas. The 36 units of course work does not include required teaching experience (ENERGY 359) nor required research seminars. Courses must be taken for a letter grade, and a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.25 must be maintained.

The dissertation must be submitted in its final form within five calendar years from the date of admission to candidacy. Candidates who fail to meet this deadline must submit an Application for Extension of Candidacy for approval by the department chair if they wish to continue in the program.

Ph.D. students entering the department are required to hold an M.S. degree in a relevant science or engineering discipline. Students wishing to follow the Ph.D. program in Petroleum Engineering must hold an M.S. degree (or equivalent) in Petroleum Engineering. Students following the Ph.D. program in Energy Resources Engineering must hold an M.S. degree (or equivalent), although it need not be in Energy Resources Engineering.

PH.D. DEGREE QUALIFICATION

The procedure for the Ph.D. qualification differs depending upon whether the student entered the department as an M.S. or Ph.D. student. In either case, previous written and oral exams have been replaced by a written Ph.D. proposal followed by a proposal defense.

For students who complete an M.S. in the Energy Resources Engineering Department at StanfordIn the second year of the M.S. degree program, the student formally applies to the Ph.D. program. The student is considered for admission to the Ph.D. program along with external applicants. The admission decision is based upon course work and research progress. During or before the third quarter as a Ph.D. student, generally corresponding to Spring Quarter in the third year at Stanford, the student must pass a Qualifying Examination by presenting a Ph.D. proposal to a committee of three faculty members. This entails a written document, including material such as a literature review and proposed work outline, and an oral presentation. Following the presentation, the student is questioned on the research topic and general field of study. The student can pass, pass with qualifications requiring more classes or teaching assistantships, or fail. A student who substantially changes topics between the M.S. and Ph.D. may ask his/her advisor to petition for an extra quarter before presenting the Ph.D. proposal.

For students who enter directly into the Ph.D. program after receiving an M.S. from another universityAfter the second quarter at Stanford, a faculty committee evaluates the student's progress. If a student is found to be deficient in course work and/or research, a written warning is issued. After the third quarter, the faculty committee decides whether or not funding should be continued for the student. Students denied funding after the third quarter are advised against proceeding with the Ph.D. proposal, though the student may choose to proceed under personal funding. Direct entry Ph.D. students must present their Ph.D. proposal (qualifying exam) before the end of their fourth quarter at Stanford (not counting Summer Quarter).

COURSE WORK

The 36 units of course work may include graduate courses in Energy Resources Engineering (numbered 200 and above) and courses chosen from the following list. Other courses may be substituted with prior approval of the adviser. In general, non-technical courses are not approved.

Students who enter directly into the Ph.D. program after receiving an M.S. degree from another university are expected to show expertise in the core courses required for Stanford's M.S. degree in Energy Resources Engineering, either by including those courses in their Ph.D. degree or by showing that they have taken equivalent courses during their M.S. degree.

For a Ph.D. in Energy Resources Engineering, 12 of the 36 required course units must be completed from the following list of courses. If the student has not taken ENERGY 293A,B or their equivalent during the M.S., then these courses must be taken during the Ph.D. (they will satisfy 6 of the required 12 units).

ENERGY 104. Technology in the Greenhouse

ENERGY 252. Chemical Kinetics Modeling

ENERGY 253. Carbon Capture and Sequestration

ENERGY 260. Modeling Uncertainty in the Earth Sciences

ENERGY 269. Geothermal Reservoir Engineering

ENERGY 291. Optimization of Energy Systems

ENERGY 293A. Fundamentals of Energy Processes

ENERGY 239B. Fundamentals of Energy Processes

ENERGY 301. The Energy Seminar (may be repeated for credit no more than 3 times)